Episode Guide

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Edwin is annoyed with Jean for her strange behaviour. Freda is shocked when Jean is admitted to the hospital where she works with a stroke. The episode is the story of Jean Ashton's illness and death, and following her funeral, the varied effects of this crisis on the remaining members of the family.moreless

The family gathers for Phillip's birthday party. Freda's boyfriend is introduced to the family. David is living up in London. Jean does not turn up for the birthday party and no-one knows where she is.

Christmas, 1942. The Porters are invited to stay at the Ashton's for Christmas Day. David Ashton is staying in London with his pilot and meets his friend's sister, Grace. Mrs Porter finds a letter addressed to Margaret Ashton - and when she reads it, discovers Margaret had a baby by another man whilst John was missing. Mr Porter and Margaret agree that John is not ready to be told yet, and they decide they must stop his Mother from saying anything. Sheila gets drunk on a bottle of sherry which Colin has given her for Christmas and decides to have an affair with him, but Colin does the noble thing and leaves her to sober up. The programme ends with Phillip returning home, his sight nearly fully restored.moreless

Philip Ashton is travelling to London after returning from abroad - he is still blind. On the train he encounters Parker, whom he fought with in the Spanish Civil War. Phillip does not realise that Parker is travelling with him, but Parker immediately recognises Phillip. When Phillip stumbles on the fact that Parker is with him, there is a row because Parker shot one of Phillip's companions during the war. Before they arrive in London however, Parker jumps off the train. Also, Sefton Briggs is taken ill. His son Tony comes home to see him, believing that his Father is very ill - however it transpires that all he is suffering from is wind.moreless

The arrival of Mrs Porter to visit Margaret and John forces Margaret to make a decision about her future. While her mother in law is in the house, it is not easy for her to visit Michael Armstrong, but she manages to do so and tells him everything is finished. While she is out John takes a crucial step in his relationship with his Mother. At the same time, Sheila Ashton is to make a similar decision between her husband and a potential lover.moreless

Phillip is brought into a desert hospital - blind. There he meets Reynolds and Grant. Reynolds is dying and he confides in Phillip that it was Grant who brought the German patrol on them as he fired a shot which they heard, whilst trying to give himself a minor wound in order to be sent home. Phillip recovers his sight, Reynolds dies, Grant goes home free. John Porter tries to commit suicide. Margaret says she has made her choice between Michael and John.moreless

John Porter, who has been missing, presumed dead, returns to the Ashton family. The situation is awkward, as Margaret, his wife, is having an affair with Michael Armstrong and she cannot find the courage to tell John about this. David Ashton seeks out his old girlfriend , Peggy Drake, and sees his daughter for the first time. Peggy tells him she is going to get married and doesn't want to see David again.moreless

Margaret is back at home with her family. Tony Briggs' girlfriend, Jenny is staying with the Briggs. Edwin's father has just died and he and Jean go to the cottage where he used to live,to tidy things up. Edwin receives news that John Porter is still alive and he tells Margaret.moreless

Phillip is out in the Western Desert. He is sent on a mine course when he meets Sergeant Hazard. Hazard is a blase, roving type of man - but he has a horrible fear of mines and being blown up by them. He believes in the real enemy, not an enemy planted in the ground. After the course is finished, Phillip and Hazard meet up again in the desert. They discover an abandoned German vehicle and when Hazard investigates, it is riddled with mines. However, with Phillip's guidance he gets out alive and goes off into the middle of the desert.moreless

Liverpool, January 1942. Despite the fact that Sheila Ashton knows David is coming home on leave, she decides to go out for the day with Doris, her lodger and Freda to Southport. She meets Colin Woodcock; they miss their train home and when she eventually returns, David is waiting for her. The programme ends with the arrival of a telegram at the Ashton's informing them of Roberts death.moreless

Margaret is still in hospital recovering from her back injury. Michael calls at the Ashton's after visiting her and is invited to stay for the night. Freda is disturbed by her feelings for Michael. David is confident about getting his commission which upsets Sheila. Edwin is visited by two intelligence officers who are checking on the possibility of John being alive. Robert Ashton leaves New York by convoy for England, but his ship is torpedoed and both Robert and his pal, Peter both die slowly in the lifeboat having swallowed too much oil.moreless

This episode takes place at Christmas, 1941in Liverpool. David Ashton returns home on 72 hours leave, where he is enthusiastically greeted by his son, Peter . The boy has built up a hero worship for his father, and unfortunately David does not match up to this image. In the course of these three days, their relationship worsens, and when David leaves to return to his unit, Peter tells his mother that he hates his Dad.moreless

Margaret is injured during an air-raid while staying with Michael; her situation causes continued friction between Edwin and Jean. Michael is having a battle with his conscience over whether he should change his views and join up. Owen is staying with the family and Robert is home on leave. Mrs Porter arrives in Liverpool with a letter from a soldier who saw John just before he was reported missing. Edwin takes her to meet this man.moreless

It is May 1941. David Ashton is home on an unexpected 48-hour leave. Robert is back from a voyage to Africa, laden down with presents. Neither knows yet that Margaret is expecting an illegitimate child. Nor that their mother, Jean Ashton, has taken the news very badly. The relationship between David Ashton and his wife Sheila is as bad as ever. He never bothers to write and seldom spends his leaves with her. She is worries that he is growing away from her and the prospect that he may soon be elevated from flight-sergeant to pilot officer terrifies her. Sheila still gets poison-pen letters about Peg, the girl he made pregnant at basic training camp. When David arrives home, he is surprised to find Sheila sharing the house with a lodger - Doris, one of Sheila's friends from the Naafi.moreless

Sefton is anxious to discuss changes in the business with Tony who tells his Father that he has no leave due to him. Sefton pays a surprise visit to Tony on the East Coast and finds that his son is about to go away for the weekend with his girlfriend, Jenny. Jenny gets on well with Sefton and is puzzled about the tension between him and Tony.moreless

This episode takes place in the Western Desert in April, 1941. It concerns Phillip Ashton and his relationship with a polish soldier called Stashek. Stashek, being Polish naturally enough takes a harsh view of the Germans. He and Phillip are thrown together by chance, and during the episode they capture a German soldier. Through this, Phillip learns about war.moreless

The episode begins with the Ashton family celebrating Christmas 1940 and then the New Year. Edwin is offered a manager's job with one of Sefton's business competitors, Dennis Pringle and Sefton realise how much they need to keep Edwin at the works. David is chatting up a girl near his RAF camp while Sheila waits for his phone call at home. Robert comes home on leave unexpectedly and almost misses seeing his mother who has been called away to see her sick mother.moreless

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